Low temperature process for extracting principal components from plants or plant materials and plant extracts produced thereby

Abstract

A low temperature process for extracting principal components from plants or plant materials and plant extracts produced by such a low temperature process, are provided. The inventive low temperature process improves the yield and quality of volatile and non-volatile components extracted from plants or plant materials.

1. An extract from which impurities such as cellulose, lignin and ash have been removed, which comprises volatile and non-volatile principal components selected from the group of essential oils, oleoresins, and active principals, and solvent containing dissolved salts, and which is obtained by a low temperature process comprising:
 (a) contacting raw plant material with an extracting organic polar solvent to form a solution containing principal components, impurities, and insoluble matter; 
 (b) separating the insoluble matter from the solution to form a first extraction solution; 
 (c) raising the pH of the first extraction solution to greater than 7 by adding a quantity of a base to form a solution containing principal components and insolubilized impurities; 
 (d) separating the insolubilized impurities from the solution to form a second extraction solution; 
 (e) neutralizing the second extraction solution by adding a quantity of an acid to form a solution containing principal components and dissolved salts; and 
 (f) separating the principal components from the dissolved salts and from the organic polar solvent and recovering same. 
 
     
     
       2. The extract of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature maintained throughout the process is less than or equal to 70° C. 
     
     
       3. The extract of  claim 1 , wherein the principal components are essential oils, oleoresins and active principals. 
     
     
       4. The extract of  claim 1 , wherein the raw plant material is selected from the group of Cinnamon Ceylon, Cinnamon Cassia, Vanilla, Coffee and Black and White Pepper raw plant materials. 
     
     
       5. An ingestible entity comprising the extract of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       6. A Cinnamon Cassia extract from which impurities such as cellulose, lignin and ash have been removed, which comprises volatile and non-volatile principal components selected from the group of essential oils, oleoresins, and active principals, and solvent containing dissolved salts, and which is obtained by a low temperature process comprising:
 (a) contacting a quantity of from about 20 to about 30 parts by volume of Cinnamon Cassia raw plant material with 100 parts by volume of food-grade ethanol to form a solution containing principal components, impurities, and insoluble matter; 
 (b) separating the insoluble matter from the solution to form a first extraction solution; 
 (c) raising the pH of the first extraction solution to greater than 7 by adding a quantity of from about 6 to about 7% by weight, based on the total weight of the raw plant material, of potassium hydroxide to form a solution containing principal components and lignin; 
 (d) separating the lignin from the solution to form a second extraction solution; 
 (e) neutralizing the second extraction solution by adding a quantity of hydrochloric acid to form a solution containing principal components and dissolved salts of potassium chloride; and 
 (f) separating the principal components from the dissolved salts and from the food-grade ethanol and recovering same, 
 wherein, the temperature maintained throughout the process is less than or equal to 70° C. 
 
     
     
       7. A vanilla extract from which impurities such as cellulose, lignin and ash have been removed, which comprises from about 10 to about 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the extract, of vanillin or vanillic aldehyde, and solvent containing dissolved salts. 
     
     
       8. A cinnamon extract from which impurities such as cellulose, lignin and ash have been removed, which comprises from about 30 to about 60% by weight, based on the total weight of the extract, of cinnamic aldehyde, and solvent containing dissolved salts.